Lace-holder.



No. 745,577. I PATENTED DEG. 1, 1903 P. D. DAVIES.

LACE HOLDER. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25. 1903.

no MODEL.

,MI I 23 1 WWI @MA/ UNITED STATES Patented December 1, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK D. DAVIES, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FREDERICK O. BONNY,' OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

LACE-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 745,577, dated December 1, 1908.

Application filed March 25, 1903.

- To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK D. DAVIES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the countyof Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Lace-Holders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to lacing devices for shoes, and it is particularly designed for use with ladies shoes where means are required to prevent the binding, ruffles, or lining of a skirt from becoming caught and torn, as by the projecting edges upon the ordinary laceholder used with mens shoes.

My invention in brief comprises a strip of flat metal blanked or formed out to provide right angular ends to pass, respectively, through the ordinary eyelet in a shoe and over the free front edge of the upper, said ends then being clamped against the underside of the upper. The remaining portion of said strip is so shaped as to present upon the outer surface of the upper a doubled nose or guard whose opposed folds are incurved to present a smooth rounded exterior, an opposite guard whose surface is convexed, a recess or lacesocket between said guards whose surface'is convexed, and a concave portion to lie snugly within the eyelet and conform with the contour thereof.

' In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a ladys shoe with my lace-holders applied thereto and illustrating my improved method of lacing as described hereinafter. Fig. 2 is a perspective view, enlarged, of one of my improved lace-holders. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of my improved laceholder, showing it secured in operative position in a shoeupper, a portion only of the upper being illustrated and broken away. Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-section taken on the line as a: of Figs. 2 and 3,, and Fig. 5 is a spaced and shaded plan view of a holder-blank prior to its formation.

To attain a convenient knowledge of the construction ofmy improved lace-holders, we may refer to the blank shown in Fig. 5 and, in conjunction with Figs. 2, 3, and 4, follow the method by which said holder is produced. In the first place, for illustration, I bend downwardly at right angles the opposite end an No. 149,515. (in model.)

portions, respectively, A B and E F, whereby the extremities Aand F are in position when passed, respectively, over the front edge g of the shoe-upper G and through the usual eyelet g in said upper ready to be turned under and clamped to the upper, as indicated in Fig. 3. The portion O lies flat upon the outer surface of the upper; but the portion D extends upwardly therefrom at an angle and, bearing the letter I), is folded back and downwardly at approximately the same angle to the point d, the two folds being convexed transversely to present outer rounded surfaces, as indicated more clearly in Fig. 4. The portion E, which is also convex in cross-section, thence continues in an upward direction at an angle to the junction with portion E, forming a guard and in conjunction with the surface of portion D providing a recess or holder to receive the lace. The portion E, which lies within the eyelet g, is cupped or concaved,

mit it to fit snugly within the segment of a circle presented by the bearing surface within said eyelet g and against which it must rest firmly to avoid slackening of the clamping connection after a period of usage. For example, assuming the width of the blank to approximately correspond with the interior diameter of the eyelet, it will be seen that in such instance no snug fit between these two members could be attained, and consequently under the tension of continued usage said strip would yield more or less until its sectional area closed upon the rounded surface within the eyelet, to which it would be drawn, and so doing would inevitably weaken the clamp connection of the holder at the edge 9 of the upper.

The main purpose of my invention is to provide means whereby a smooth and sub stantially even surface is presented by the lacing and the holder employed, so that no opportunity is offered for ladies articles of dress as is the case where a rough or uneven surface is exposed. In conjunction herewith I have found that a new method of lacing which Iadvocate aids in attaining the desired result.

to become caught and torn or to wear rapidly,

as indicated by the shading in Fig. 2, to per- 7 ICO Thus instead of crossing the laces once for I each turn made in engaging same with the holders I effect a triple crossing between each pair of holders by crossing said laces in the usual way, passing them within the holders from the upper side, then crossing each lace upon itself, and continuing toward the succeeding holders. This method of lacing provides a form of friction-lock at each holder which localizes the strain and also with the multiple crossing employed produces abridge between the holders of substantially the same height as said holders, thus avoiding the exposure of individual jutting holders on the laced shoe to engage with and tear the adjacent dress members. Furthermore, by this method of lacing the final tying of the laces is accomplished at a point beneath the top pair of holders instead of above same, the result being that the fastening is not subjected to so much tension, is less liable to come undone, and proves more comfortable to the wearer. I

Having now described my invention, I declare that what I claim isl. Asa newarticle of manufacture, a holder for shoe-lacing com prising a flat strip of metal whose ends are adapted, respectively, to pass through a shoe-eyelet and over the front edge of the shoe-upper, and to be clamped to said upper, a pair of guards formed upon the exposed portion of said strip, a socket portion intermediate said guards, and means for lessening frictional resistance at the sides of said guard.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a holder for shoe-lacing, comprising a thin strip of metal, formed so that its opposite ends pass, respectively, through ashoe-eyelet and across the front edge of a shoe-upper, being clamped thereunder, the portion within the eyelet being concaved to fit snugly against a portion of the circular wall thereof; and the exposed portion of said strip being,at one point, folded upon itself with the folds reversel'y convexed to form acontinuous curved friction-surface, said folded portion forming a guard; and a second guard of convex form produced at a point intermediate the first-named guard and the portion Within the eyelet, thejunction of said guards providing, between them, asocket to receive the lacing.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 23d day of March, 1903.

FREDERICK D. DAVIES.

Witnesses:

F. O. WILLIAMS, 0. B. BARKER. 

